You Know I Will
by DiegoRedeemedLover
Summary: "Diego," Manny says. "It's okay. I know the other mammoths and other creatures of the valley will think little of me for doing this, but that doesn't matter. You know I will always have your back." This fic explores the relationship between Manny and Diego during the end of the Meltdown and into DoTD. What caused Diego to leave Manny? Sorta meta-ish. Foreshadowing for my CI-verse.


**An Ice Age meta post type of story. Potentially controversial.** **This ficlet sets out to explain what went on during the missing years between the Meltdown and DoTD, and also Manny's views on Diego's hunting, not to mention what led to the temporary "breakup" (I've read reviews calling it that!) of their friendship at the beginning of DoTD.  
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** It also postulates something only a few fics in this archive have touched on - Manny and Sid (in this case Manny) accompanying Diego on the hunt or scavenging for him like in Luki Dimension's Understanding. **

**In this fic, I present you something along those lines but also dynamically different. This fic shows the lengths that Manny and Diego would go for each other, and given my analysis of their friendship and the subtext about it in the films, I think this is an accurate depiction. **

**It opens a bit like an essay before transitioning into the fic because I was trying to 'meta' but it became a story instead :P **

**This fic also ties into my CI-'verse set of novels as well and counts as foreshadowing for later events in the series. **

**The title refers to one of my favourite songs that reminds me of Manny and Diego's friendship. It's performed by Lucas Grabeel and it can easily be found on Youtube. :) **

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In the span of time separating the Meltdown and Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Manny and Diego often hunt together. Manny's trunk is an excellent tool for scouting out dead or dying animals to help Diego find them. Diego appreciates the presence of his new "pack" partner.

Manny mentions that he'd like to join the hunts as a scout or a tracker. Diego at first thinks that Manny is joking, but as it turns out, the mammoth's intentions are serious.

At first, he only allows Manny to tag along on his hunts. Manny catches on quickly to what he does on the prowl.

Manny points out weaker animals to him. Like they've agreed, the animals he points out to Diego are ones who aren't friends of Manny himself or any other members of the herd. Diego is content with this reasoning. But, he wonders sometimes if Manny's unsettled at all by his casual accessory to murder.

(Diego has qualms about killing younglings or their parents in the prime of their life. His actions in murdering the baby's mother still haunt him)

Diego's long decided to hunt well out of the way of the herd's main territories in the valley, out of respect to Manny and the rest of the valley.

Diego watches with practiced eyes Manny creates diversions. On this day, Manny guides the prey – this time a flock of geese – into his path where he crouches, waiting to spring. He throws himself into the air, ripping in half several of the birds' necks. Manny doesn't seem to notice the blood staining the ground, instead gazing at Diego with a proud glint in his eye. The sabre isn't sure what to make of it.

A few days later, whilst hunting a huge musk ox, Manny blocks the terrified animal's path as Diego leaps onto its back. He stabs its neck in one smooth motion. The creature dies instantly, collapsing underneath Diego. As he begins to tear into the carcass, Manny slips away, leaving Diego alone.

...

Manny agrees to help Diego with hunting and scavenging because he sees it as a brutal necessity. Manny knows that his friend would never ever hunt for pleasure, unlike Soto or the two rhinos he'd had to protect Sid from. Diego only kills to keep himself alive. Manny understands this and accepts it as a fact of life.

Manny moves outside of his comfort zone when Diego slips one day, spraining his foreleg so badly that he can't catch any prey. He explains that he'll kill some animals for Diego whilst he recovers. Upon hearing this, Diego's face shows his shock. Manny chuckles at him, saying that it'll be fine. Diego protests that this doesn't seem like something Manny would do, as the mammoth rolls his eyes at him. Diego can't believe his ears when Manny says outright that he knows that Diego's hunting is never hunting for pleasure. Manny says that he knows that Diego needs to hunt, but that he's not a ruthless killer. He kills only to feed himself.

Diego protests that the humans are not that much different from him. He regrets his words as Manny's eyes flood with emotion, so he makes a hasty apology. Manny continues, saying that Diego's hunting hasn't ever bothered him much. It's because Diego isn't a Soto or like the humans, he explains, so he's willing to provide for his friend in this way.

Diego doesn't understand Manny's motives in doing this. Despite spending several years with the mammoth, Manny keeps surprising him.

"Look, you don't really have to do this," he says one day (his leg still healing) as he watches Manny efficiently swipe at an elderly deer. Manny kills it in one swift movement, so quickly that he's sure that the animal died without pain. He doesn't want Manny to actually kill for him. Killing and Manny are not things he finds synonymous with each other.

Manny meets his gaze evenly. He's still amazed by the sheer depth in his friend's eyes. In fact, at times, he finds Manny's gaze almost godlike in its serene majesty.

"Diego," Manny says. "It's okay. I know the other mammoths and other creatures of the valley will think little of me for doing this, but that doesn't matter. You know I will always have your back."

Diego can't think of anything to say, so he mumbles in reply,

"Thanks... and you know I will do anything for you."

Manny rolls his eyes before jabbing at him playfully with his trunk.

"Have many times do I have to tell you that you have no debt to me?" he scolds.

Diego manages a small grin, preferring to say nothing in reply. Who cares what Manny says? He'll always have some debt to repay to this unusual mammoth. Manny's many acts of love showed him that the path of goodness and sacrifice is a better way. He's much happier in this new life than his past, one filled with selfishness, revenge, and deceit. And he wouldn't have been able to do it without Manny. At his core, Diego knows how much he owes a debt of gratitude and sacrifice to this mammoth, even if Manny doesn't want to accept it.

But then Ellie gets pregnant and Manny isn't able to join Diego on their hunts often anymore. Diego harbours a secret hurt as he sees Manny become protective of Ellie. He understands Manny's fears for the baby and he's fine with it. Manny deserves a chance to live life fully again after his losses.

When on the hunt, though, Manny's absence drives home how out of shape he is. Working in tandem with a mammoth makes hunting far easier than it is in a pack of unruly sabres.

With his injury still slowing him during his hunts, Diego finds it harder by the day to catch something to eat.

Most of the time he just spends time relaxing in the coolness of the herd's cave. Venturing outside would mean favouring his leg, so he decides to take things slow to let it heal.

In time, Manny forgoes the hunts to focus his attention on Ellie and the growing baby in her womb. Diego sees his growing concern and desire for his mate and child to remain safe and well, so he leaves them alone. Sometimes he comes upon Manny nuzzling Ellie when he's on the prowl. Seeing their intimacy makes him happy for Manny yet lonely for his friend's companionship at the same time.

Diego's forced to fend for himself on the hunts now that Manny is becoming a father again. The sabre resorts to scavenging to make it through the day so he doesn't starve. Hunting alongside the mammoth is so easy for him that he didn't have to exert much.

He regrets it now as his muscles' reluctance to move him in pursuit of prey groan underneath him. He shoves it off, wanting to think it's nothing, but a nagging question at the back of his mind taunts him that he's getting out of shape. Or, even worse, that he _is_ out of shape. Diego refuses to think that this is an option.

Eventually, Manny notices that he's missing going out into the field with Diego. But he doesn't know how to broach it since he's so intent on keeping Ellie and the baby safe right now. He tells himself that Diego won't see it as him neglecting his friend. Since he and Diego are so close they can pretty much read each other's minds, Manny hopes that Diego will understand.

The mammoth and the sabre go weeks without talking to each other. Diego's forced to come to terms with that he's terribly out of shape due to hunting alongside Manny. Meanwhile, Manny misses seeing Diego at his side during the day, but doesn't know how to approach him about it.

By now Manny just wants to pretend that it's not becoming an issue. He notices the worry in Diego's eyes when the sabre glances at him and it awakens guilt in him, but he still doesn't say anything.

By now, with his injury healed, Diego can return to hunting as usual. But his long recuperation because of his sprain leaves him winded after running. Try as he might, he can't catch anything. He yearns for Manny's help, but seeing Manny stare at Ellie anxiously makes him think the better of it. What if something should happen to Ellie whilst Manny is helping him hunt? Diego would never be able to forgive himself.

Diego, by now, is growing more anxious by the day that Manny doesn't like him or his hunting anymore. Since he's so out of shape he worries that he might be of no use to the herd. For Diego, this is a discouraging realisation.

He's careful not to show his discouragement because Ellie will notice and if not Ellie, Manny will eventually see his depression and ferret the matter out of him.

Diego prefers remaining taciturn on the matter. He tries to not let either of the mammoths see his dejection and loneliness. Sid and the possums don't even notice. Sid's always going off on failed ventures and vainly trying to smooth-talk the sloth ladies. The possums mainly act like Diego doesn't exist. He begins to think that Manny has no time for him, since he's so busy taking care of Ellie.

It doesn't help his emotional state that Manny doesn't seem to enjoy being around him anymore. He should just leave the herd – an idea that fills him with silent dread – because there seems to be no other alternative. The implications of this thought and potential action unnerve him.

Things come to a head when Ellie finally calls Manny out on the fact that he's upset, convincing Manny to go talk to him.

The talk ends in an argument when Diego admits he wants to leave the herd, startling and upsetting Manny. He didn't expect the mammoth's fluster at all (it makes no sense – isn't he _sure_ that Manny doesn't like him or want him around anymore?) or his anger over it, but the decision is set in stone.

He watches Manny amble over to Ellie, grumbling that "Diego's leaving" to her. His voice sounds so hurt that Diego almost relents in his choice, but in the next moment both mammoths turn away, leaving him alone.

Their departure (he's still not sure what to make of Manny's response. Does he want him here or doesn't he? Does he _matter_ to Manny, at all?) seals his decision – his belief that the herd doesn't need him or value him is _true_.

Sid tries to stop him from his desertion. Diego just tells him goodbye before stepping forward, ignoring Sid's pleas. Of course he doesn't want Sid to come with him – the only one he really wants is _Manny_. (But he's moved that Sid tries to remind him that these creatures – this most unusual herd – are the only ones to ever make him feel like he had a _home_. Somehow, that makes his pain _worse_.)

Manny's rejection of him confirms what he's long feared. He's long worried that his relationship with Manny isn't as important to the mammoth as it is to him. If he can give me up this easily, Diego thinks. But he realises that he is also giving _him_ up. It _hurts_. But it's what he should do anyway.

It's the best thing to do for Manny, anyway. He rationalises the thought to himself. Sacrifice his friendship with the mammoth and the comfort of the herd to live on his own. He wants the one who showed him the true nature of love being sacrifice to be happy ... but that doesn't ease his pain any less.

His mind replays Manny's reactions to his announcement over and over, and the grief in his heart is great.

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**Fin **

**Review? **


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